The Lazy Genius Podcast

Episode 452: 12 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver, Part 1

Host: Kendra Adachi
Date: January 12, 2026

Episode Overview

Kendra Adachi dives into the heart of daily life problem-solving, introducing the first five of her "12 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver." Her signature approach—being a genius about what matters, lazy about what doesn’t—translates into practical, compassionate, manageable advice for everyday challenges inside your own walls, schedule, and life. Interwoven with real-life stories, relatable analogies, and her trademark warmth and humor, Kendra provides a framework to help listeners break down problems, identify what’s really going on, and move toward creative, life-giving solutions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Scope of Problem Solving (07:40)

• These episodes focus on everyday, personal problems rather than huge, consequential ones.
• The goal: “create a compassionate, reliable framework for making your life work a little better based on what matters to you.”

The First Five Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver

1. Make the Problem as Small as Possible (15:59)

• Insight: Most of us try to solve problems that are too big. Big problems need big solutions—which are hard to implement.
• Practical Advice: Break down problems until they're small and solvable.
  • E.g., If you feel “overwhelmed by dinner,” keep narrowing it until you find a manageable, specific issue.
• Quote:

  “If you’re overwhelmed by something that has its own category of books on Amazon, the problem is too big.” — Kendra (16:55)

2. Remember Your Season of Life (18:15)

• Insight: We generalize problems and sometimes judge them based on past, easier seasons.
• Approach: Name and acknowledge your current life season; don’t try to solve problems rooted in circumstances that have changed.
  • E.g., Parenting teens vs. babies or navigating health changes.
• Quote:

  “Be a person who locks in on the season you’re in. Get good at naming it. Practice acknowledging it even if it’s not your favorite season.” — Kendra (19:48)

3. Name What Matters, Early and Often (22:10)

• Insight: To choose real solutions, you need to know what’s actually important to you about the problem and its context.
• Method: Identify what matters in small, specific situations—not just once, but regularly, as things change.
• Memorable Moment:
  • Kendra's example of a stressful commute home and the need to keep checking in on what helps: real relaxation might mean a comedy album, not silence or just any audiobook.
• Quote:

  “If you don’t know what matters about a solution, you’ll have a harder time choosing one.” — Kendra (23:22)

4. Listen for the Invisible Problem (28:15)

• Insight: Sometimes the real issue is hidden beneath the surface (resentment, grief, a shift in family dynamics), not just the “obvious” problem.
• Advice: Listen to yourself and others for unspoken needs, frustrations, or sorrows; solving the visible problem without addressing the invisibility can leave the root untouched.
• Practical Example: The kitchen isn’t just messy—it may represent grief over grown kids no longer helping with chores.
• Quote:

  “We often make our problems too big by not acknowledging what they actually are.” — Kendra (28:29)

5. Notice Catastrophic Language (32:09)

• Insight: Words like “always,” “never,” “everything,” and “no one” make problems seem bigger and truer than they actually are.
• Approach: Don’t try to immediately eliminate this extreme language; just start noticing when you use it and how it affects your perspective on problems.
• Practical Tip: When you catch yourself using catastrophic language, ask if it’s really accurate—adjust to a more honest assessment.
• Quote:

  “What this does is it makes a bigger problem even bigger and possibly inaccurate.” — Kendra (32:54)

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• Naming Your Season:

  “Family, jobs, homes, mental health issues, physical strength, mobility, proximity to people you love...all those things change often and will continue to change always. It’s just how life is.” — Kendra (19:13)

• Encouragement for Small Steps:

  “You will be a better problem solver when you name what matters early and often.” — Kendra (23:01)

• Reflections on Catastrophic Language:

  “Just notice. Notice when you do, and notice what those words are doing for you.” — Kendra (34:05)

Story: The Harrowing Tale of How We Almost Didn’t Make It to London (Essay Reading)

Segment: 44:30 – 57:52

Kendra reads from a recent newsletter essay about her family’s chaotic, canceled flight to London—a story packed with stresses, pivots, and life-affirming resilience. Through canceled bookings, missing boarding passes, empathetic airline workers (shout-out to “David with the Christmas beanie”), and hours of uncertainty, the family eventually makes it—due largely to the attitude of staying kind, flexible, and focusing on what matters.

• Highlight:

  “Remembering what matters, starting small, staying kind, and seeing the good that is here right now works. Even with chaotic, canceled flights.” — Kendra (57:21)

• Emotional Resonance: Her children are patient and light through the ordeal, embodying the wisdom of her own problem-solving principles.

Lazy Genius of the Week

Segment: 1:08:25 – 1:09:43

Amber from Northwestern Ontario shares her new, sustainable laundry rhythm inspired by both the podcast and Gretchen Rubin's “don’t skip two days in a row” rule:

• Instead of doing a load every night, Amber checks the laundry every other day, aligning habits to her family's new season.

• Notable Quote:

  “I think if I check it every other day, I'm either going to find a load to do or at least I'm going to have a better idea of what the heck is going on with all of those dirty things.” — Amber (1:09:29)

Kendra’s response:

“This is a prime example of making the problem smaller, of living in your season, and naming what matters early and often.” — Kendra (1:10:02)

Pep Talk: For When You’re Chasing a Great Day (1:11:20)

Kendra speaks candidly about the temptation to endlessly replicate perfect days—especially for caretakers and parents—offering a gentle rebuke to unhealthy “best day” standards found in productivity media.

• Core Message: Your value isn’t measured by flawless days. Authenticity and kindness, not perfection, are the point.
• Quote:

  “Don’t judge every day against your best day and maybe start to rethink what a best day even looks like.” — Kendra (1:15:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 07:40 – Kendra sets up the ethos and limitations of the episode
• 15:59 – #1: Make the problem as small as possible
• 18:15 – #2: Remember your season of life
• 22:10 – #3: Name what matters, early and often
• 28:15 – #4: Listen for the invisible problem
• 32:09 – #5: Notice catastrophic language
• 44:30 – Newsletter essay: “The Harrowing Tale of How We Almost Didn’t Make It to London”
• 1:08:25 – Lazy Genius of the Week (Amber)
• 1:11:20 – Mini pep talk: Don’t chase the great day

Takeaways and Tone

• Warm, conversational, and deeply empathetic, Kendra’s approach is as much about kindness to self as it is about efficiency or “fixing.”
• She combines practical tips, honest personal stories, and community wisdom to help listeners gently improve daily life.
• This half of the two-part series provides a solid, compassionate toolkit for facing life’s small but persistent problems—a reminder to start small, stay tuned to reality, and honor what actually matters.

Next Up

• Part 2 (next week): The remaining seven ways to be a better problem solver.
• Listener engagement: Submit your own “Lazy Genius of the Week” (especially audio!) for future episodes.

Final Encouragement

“Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.” — Kendra